Posted: 02 Mar 2016 Michael Snyder THE ECONOMIC COLLAPSE BLOG
Why are so few voices warning the people about what is coming? We stand at the door of a period of distress that will be unlike anything that any of us have ever known before. And even though the signs are all around us, very few individuals appear to be willing to stand up and sound the alarm. Instead, there seems to be a large number of people that are quite eager to criticize the watchmen. Earlier today, I was having a conversation with a very prominent voice in the alternative media, and we were reflecting on this. There are so many individuals out there that love to shoot arrows at those that are sounding the alarm, and yet they are doing so little to make a difference themselves. It is easy to sit back on your sofa munching on potato chips as the world around you goes to hell, and it is easy to criticize those that have chosen to have the courage to stand up and warn the people. But it is not easy to stand up and say the hard things that need to be said in a society that does not want to listen. Yes, there are some watchmen out there that are doing a great job of proclaiming the warning message. I have personally met a number of them, and I am proud to be their friends. Unfortunately, they are few and far between. Most people either don’t believe that we are on the precipice of disaster, they don’t care enough to warn others, or they are too busy criticizing those that are trying very hard to warn others. And of course you don’t need a media platform to sound the alarm. We all have family members that need to be warned about what is coming. We all have friends that need to be warned about what is coming. Each one of us is uniquely positioned to reach others that may not be able to be reached any other way. In the end, we all have a choice to make. If we sound the alarm and people choose not to listen, the responsibility for failing to act falls on them. But if we know what is coming and we choose to do nothing to warn others, then we may end up being responsible for their blood. This is a principle that we even seen in the Scriptures. The following is what Ezekiel 33:1-6 says… Again the word of the Lord came to me, saying: 2 Son of man, speak to the children of your people and say to them: If I bring a sword upon a land, and the people of the land take a man from among them and set him for their watchman, 3 and he sees the sword come upon the land and blows the trumpet and warns the people, 4 then whoever hears the sound of the trumpet and does not take warning, and a sword comes and takes him away, his blood shall be upon his own head. 5 He heard the sound of the trumpet yet did not take warning. His blood shall be upon himself. But he who takes warning delivers his soul. 6 But if the watchman sees the sword come and does not blow the trumpet and the people are not warned and a sword comes and takes a person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity. But his blood I will require from the hand of the watchman.Sadly, the few voices that are proclaiming the warning message in our society are being almost completely drowned out by everyone else. Just look at our political leaders. None of them are warning the American people about what is really coming. Yes, they are warning that some bad things may happen if the wrong candidate gets elected, but all of them are promising that they can get this country completely turned around if they are elected. Unfortunately, all of them are dead wrong. None of them are going to be able to keep America from experiencing the great storm that is directly ahead of us. The mainstream media is even worse. According to the mainstream media, everything is great and things are only going to get even better in the years ahead. Of course the mainstream media is owned and controlled by the global elite, and just six giant media corporations produce more than 90 percent of the news and entertainment that we all consume. Perhaps most disappointing of all are the religious leaders. You would think that if anyone should be “sounding the alarm” it would be them. But instead, ministers all over this country have become absolutely terrified of offending anyone. Church attendance has been declining for years, and most churches are desperate to do whatever they can to keep people coming back and putting money in the offering plate. So many preachers know what is coming, and yet they have willingly chosen to be silent. They know that disaster is coming to America, and yet they have decided not to warn the people. Yes, there are some good churches out there, but in general the church in America has failed. There is very little preaching about sin, repentance or the blood of Jesus anymore. Rather, most of what is coming from the pulpits these days are just feel good messages that sound like they were directly ripped off from the self-help gurus. Sometimes I get frustrated because I wish that I could do a better job of warning the people. My articles are far from perfect, but I work very hard on them. And nobody can accuse me of not trying to sound the alarm. I have written more than a million words on The Economic Collapse Blog, and I have written more than a million words on End Of The American Dream. In addition, soon my wife and I will be doing a television show, and we will be posting the videos up on YouTube for free. I am just an ordinary guy that is trying to warn the people as loudly as I can from my little spot on the wall. When I first started, my readership could have been measured with a microscope, but over time it has grown far beyond what I could have possibly ever imagined. People know that they aren’t getting the truth from the “leaders” of our society, and so they are seeking out alternative sources of information. Thankfully, the Internet has allowed ordinary people like myself and others to get the warning message out. And of course the warning message is only part of my mission. I also carry a message of hope, and that is going to be greatly needed in the days ahead. As things completely fall apart during the years to come, millions are going to give in to depression and despair. Those people are going to need to know that there is hope even in the midst of all the chaos and all the darkness. My wife and I seek to live in a constant state of “shalom” (the Hebrew word for peace), and we believe that the greatest chapters of our lives are still ahead of us. Yes, we are heading for times that are going to be more challenging than most people would ever dare to imagine, but there is no other time in human history that we would have rather been alive for. We boldly look forward to the future, and we plan to bring light to a world that will be drowning in darkness. This optimistic view of the future is going to be a central theme of my new book which should be coming out later this month. The things that I am going to share about Bible prophecy, the book of Revelation and the challenging years ahead of us are going to really shake up a lot of people out there, and it will likely be one of the most controversial Christian books of 2016. But once again, someone needs to stand up and say the hard things that need to be said. I am sure that I will get some criticism for this article, but that is okay. I just hope that I can inspire a few others to come up on the wall and help warn America (and the world) about what is rapidly approaching. It doesn’t matter if your voice is big or small. What matters is whether or not you are faithful with what you have been given. Let us sound the alarm while we still can, because time is quickly running out. |
When I first met Kenneth Copeland in 1979 to interview him for a Charisma magazine story, his understanding of faith changed my life. Copeland believes faith is something a believer can use like a carpenter uses a tool. I've used that concept many times in the years since to believe God to build this media ministry, so it was good to reconnect with him at his beautiful ministry headquarters near Fort Worth, Texas.
In nearly 50 years of ministry, Copeland's aim has been to teach the church to walk in faith—or as his website elaborates, taking people from religion to reality, from milk to the meat of God's Word, becoming skillful in the Word of righteousness according to Hebrews 5:12-14.
In Texas, our conversation turned to the current political environment and the state of our nation. I know Copeland is concerned about America. We've been at some of the same leaders' meetings with political candidates, and he's had speakers at his conventions share about important political issues of the day. I was interested to hear what he had to say about where America stands now. This word should encourage the church.
At a time when many are saying America's best days are in the past and God is abandoning our country, Copeland is optimistic that God is "rebirthing America" and He has not abandoned us. The reason, he says, is that America is the only nation founded by men who loved God. Israel was founded because God loved Abraham, but America was founded by men who loved God "for the purpose of loving me"—words Copeland says God spoke to his spirit.
"Do you think our Founding Fathers—George Washington, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin and others—had any idea what this nation would look like in terms of its purpose and meaning?" he asked. "The answer is no. They had no frame of reference to know what was happening."
Copeland said the Lord told him the Christian community has no idea what God is doing to rebirth this nation. As he's prayed recently, Copeland has come to believe strongly that in spite of how things look, this is not the end of the United States. It's the end of what he calls a "Babylon system" trying to take over the country for the past 115 years. A Babylon system, as he explains it, is any system in which man tries to meet his needs without God. President Obama's actions are shining a light on this Babylonian system, and the church is waking up and rallying.
Copeland believes Christians must go back and confess the Word of God. This is one nation "under God," and we must get back to that, recalling the words of the late Smith Wigglesworth: "I am not moved by what I see. I am not moved by what I feel. I am only moved by what I believe."
When people talk about the economy and how bad things are, Copeland states flatly: "Who cares?" In 1 Peter 5:6-10, the Holy Spirit tells us to roll all your cares onto Him. It's one of God's marvelous promises.
What about this politician or that politician and how awful the state of our nation will become if they are elected? "Who cares?" Copeland says. "We roll that care over on the Lord. Mark 11: 22 says, 'Have faith in God.' No matter what, have faith in God! This nation belongs to God, and no one will take it down. People might say it's going down or it's God's judgment, but it's not going down."
Many of the bad things we see, such as the tragedies of 9/11, are the result of seedtime and harvest. Judgment is not until the end, and judgment is always brought by God for mercy. So what should Christians do? We vote and plant our ballot as a seed. Then we pray. God's choice will be elected.
Our culture tends to look at things from a secular point of view—without understanding or even considering the spiritual aspect. Since we are bombarded with that viewpoint in the media and with the people we interact with, it's easy to only look at things in the natural.
But remember, the most important aspect is the spiritual aspect. God has a plan and purpose that is higher than ours. So as the body of Christ, we must confess the Word, believe the Word and know that God is in control.
People who live by faith keep going. It may seem rough, but then haven't things always been rough? We keep going. We keep believing God. He's in control and He is not done with America.
Steve Strang is the founder of Charisma and CEO of Charisma Media. Follow him onTwitter or Facebook.
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